Bill O'Reilly Attacks San Francisco Sheriff With Bogus Claim

Bill O'Reilly seems to have a fascination, bordering on the prurient, with San Francisco. While most folks who have visited or lived in San Francisco would say that it is one of the nicest cities on the planet, Bill has frequently given it a wag of his finger. In fact, he claims that he coined the term "San Francisco Values" when, like the "Paris Business Review," this claim is bogus. But Bill has devoted not an insubstantial amount of air time to scolding San Francisco for its liberal and open attitude. This isn't surprising, given that "traditionalist" O'Reilly shares the same loathing for tolerance which is anathema to those, like Bill, who have a rigidly dogmatic world view (cept for phone sex). But rather than directly confront that California den of iniquity, Bill sends his stalker (whoops, producer) Jesse T Watters to do amusing little "man on the street" vignettes with folks on the streets of San Francisco. As O'Reilly's homey, Watters' "reporting" is really a channeling of his lord and master. The videos, despite their weak attempt at humor, have an agenda. The first San Francisco video was obviously an attempt to portray the people of San Francisco as kinky freaks. The agenda of the more recent video was to a) portray the people of San Francisco as kinky freaks and b) attack a San Francisco sheriff for breaking the law regarding undocumented immigrants - or, as Fox "News" portrays them, "illegal aliens." Thus, O'Reilly was able to further the right wing/Fox News meme of how evil liberals and evil "illegals" are part of the same, evil agenda which is more bogus, Bill BS!

In last week's (May 25th) "Watters World," O'Reilly immediately jumped on the propaganda. He attacked San Francisco with a boldfaced lie: "You know San Francisco will not obey federal immigration law." He continued his attack with another unfounded allegation with about how SF has "tried to legalize marijuana by allowing bogus medical clinics." (O'Reilly is talking about "bogus?!") He added that the city has an "unbelievable homeless problem." (Yeah, like Bill really cares about that?). He then played the socially inept Watters video of his interview, about a variety of topics, with San Francisco residents. Watters set up the propaganda by his initial questions about how folks described the city. The words "open" and "understanding" were used along with the facetious "sex, drugs, rock and roll." A colorfully dressed man said "Where else in the US can people have a naked bike ride and not get arrested?" Working in a "family values" message, the hapless, smirking Watters asked "so exposing your children to naked male" (Hmmm,The guy didn't say who was riding the bike) "bike riders at an early age is a good idea?" (One suspects that "traditionalist Bill would be rather appreciative of a naked female bike rider but I digress!)The video proceeded as expected with some homeless being thrown in for comic relief.

After the video, Bill again launched into agitprop mode. He explained that Watters was "sent" to San Francisco to find Sheriff Mike Hennessey who "basically says flat out 'I am not going to tell the federal government when I arrest a violent felon who is not in this country legally. He just won't do it." He asked why Watters couldn't find him. Watters, who ran away from a Think Progress reporter at CPAC, called Hennessey a "coward" and said - are ya ready for it - that, as a public official, Hennessey "had an obligation to speak with us." (Really, all public officials are required to speak to Fox "reporters?") Watters reinforced the propaganda: "He has taken the sanctuary policy to a whole, new extreme. If you're an illegal alien, in San Francisco and you're arrested for a misdemeanor, when the feds try to put a hold on you, he will release the illegal alien into the streets before the feds can pick them up". Bill said it is "outrageous."

Comment: What is outrageous is how Bill O'Reilly can promote misinformation - dare I say lies. Sheriff Hennessey is not "breaking" federal immigration law.

"...as of June 1, Hennessey will no longer hold illegal immigrants booked into county jail on minor misdemeanors until immigration officials come pick them up... But Hennessey says he discovered that keeping immigrants with ICE holds behind bars is a courtesy, not mandatory. He learned this after meeting last fall with the director of Secure Communities, David Venturella." Hennessey explained that Venturella told him that "ICE detainers are merely a request, they don't have the legal requirement of being honored... "

Naked men of motorcycles pose far less of a problem to this nation than Fox "journalists" whose efforts to spread fear and hatred include lies and smears. But Bill O'Reilly is looking out for us so it's all good....